Intrude
by Yui Miyamoto
Summary: As Kallen stares at Zero's mask, she fights the impulse to return to the past.  This takes place in the anime universe after season 2.


Fandom: Code Geass  
Title: Intrude.  
Pairing: lelouch + kallen, suzaku + kallen  
Rating: pg-13  
Description–As Kallen stares at Zero's mask, she fights the impulse to return to the past. (This takes place in the anime universe after season 2.)

Disclaimer – Code Geass does not belong to me.

Intrude.

By Miyamoto Y.

Fade in, fade out.

The lights go around the city like a lighthouse to protect it from total darkness. Area 11 is finally its own country even if the light touches all of its open wires and the cement mounds of all the buildings that once existed to defend it in another age.

In another era.

In the old special observatory deck, a sleek black office desk is on one side of the small space. Above it is a wide screen, flat panel television connecting to the rest of the city below. It is blank for now and the owner is downstairs attending to some strategy meeting.

She has been assigned to always guard this room.

But it isn't for the obvious reasons.

Separating her from that desk is the spiral staircase, but on one point of this invisible triangle is that helmet with the blood smeared fingerprints. It sits peacefully on a painted white table made of wood.

There is no glass to keep it from getting dusty.

There is always a chance to touch it.

Her eyes always follow its curves and though there is absolute silence, she gulps from the nervousness. The face shield points towards her and she has the habit of averting her eyes though she knows no one is staring back at her.

She can feel its imploring gaze though.

The pulsation within her hands always proves to her that she cannot ever forget. It is like a radio signal only the dead can read.

She cannot turn off that voice in her head like a popular tune that plays to bring back nostalgic moments better left behind. Why won't it turn off? This and that have no relation to each other…

"_Can you hear me, Kallen? Someday, you'll forget all of this. Don't protect these pretty illusions they call ideals. The future may be destined, but you can control the person you will become." _

_There was a time in Ashford Academy, in the Student Council room, she watched the window and He had come behind her. His glove covered her eyes as the other arm pulled her shoulders close to His chest. _

_He breathed into her ear before whispering these words that meant everything to her._

"_It's too late for me. My treasure will live on long after me."_

_With that, He had left before she could pull his sleeve in between her shaking fingers._

What is it about today that made her suddenly think of that memory? There is nothing to instigate it, but she knew what she wanted to do ever since Zero reappeared in her life to ask her to become his First Knight once more…

**I want to touch that helmet.**

Catching her breath as her heart beat so fast she thought it would kill her, she turns away from it and leans on the railing, looking down at the snowy city. The dots of life peeking in between the white give her a comfort that she never expected.

**No matter what they think, no matter what He did,**

**I must protect them even if they don't understand what He meant.**

That is the curse of those who choose their way away from the rest of the common human rituals. They would constantly be isolated to be compassionate without being understood in return. And to constantly fight for that universal ideal could wear an ordinary person down from constant self-abuse.

However, the soldier never gives themselves the opportunity to think there is another way to pursue.

His words keep on calling to her in time with the revolving lamp of the Tower going round and round the city. Slowly, she turns and walks towards the helmet, her boots clacking on the sparkling silver tiles. When she finds herself in front of the white table, her hands reach out for each side of the helmet.

She doesn't care if she gets in trouble. She doesn't care that it reflects her face back as she looks straight at it. She doesn't care that her fingers press over where His once had been.

Closing her eyes and leaning her forehead forward, her short hair covers her eyes and half of the face shield.

Soon, one single tear drops down from the rim of the helmet.

Her body shakes as her mouth opens with nothing coming out of it. It is a sob heard in some other reality and separate from this one.

Only the humble know how to cry like this.

Ignoring the rest of the world, she doesn't notice Zero standing at top of the stairs staring at her breathlessly. He blinks his eyes though his lips do not change expression. They remain a single line touching one another firmly.

He can't look away.

It is one of the most beautiful things he has ever seen in his life.

It is then that His voice suddenly breaks through and he remembers what he had whispered on the day they exchanged identities: _"The one who is my treasure will protect all the things I thought I could not guarantee for those who believed in me."_

For a single second, he envies the pureness that exists between those two and feels like an intruder.

Zero steps towards Kallen and stands behind her. His lips lean against her right ear and orders, "Don't open your eyes just yet."

He puts his hands over hers. His fingers cover her own before touching the spaces in between and pressing his palms against the back of her wide hands. They are absolutely burning.

Lifting up the helmet a bit higher, she bends her arms as he puts the helmet over his head, securing it into place.

But his hands do not let go just yet.

Her eyes are filled with tears and she is filled with indignation at him seeing his First Knight in such a weakened state, but she cannot move.

She wants to prolong this moment from melting away.

His palms push more onto hers.

"Isn't it enough that you stripped me of everything already? Let me keep my pride. At least give me that much respect." She doesn't shout but her voice is deep and grave.

Zero leans his head forward to push the visor onto the back of her head. His fingers now squeeze hers inside his fists, crushing them onto the helmet. She no longer notices her hands are throbbing…

**For a few more minutes, please let nothing happen to this city.**

**My happiness depends on these few seconds of peace…**

Kallen doesn't open her eyes as Zero's eyes stare at the stain that would not ever go away…

…connecting and separating them all at once.

**Owari.**

**Author's note:** There was an image I had seen and the first person I thought of was Kallen and Zero's mask. I didn't imagine that it would become somewhat of a triangle among them though.

I am quite enamoured by Kallen so whenever I think of something very intense, she is one of the female characters I want to write for.

I hope that you enjoyed it!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Yui

12/23/2010 3:09:30 AM


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